Discussion of public health and health care policy, from a public health perspective. The U.S. spends more on medical services than any other country, but we get less for it. Major reasons include lack of universal access, unequal treatment, and underinvestment in public health and social welfare. We will critically examine the economics, politics and sociology of health and illness in the U.S. and the world.

Monday, August 10, 2009

The Grim Reapublicker

The "Christian" right denies a whole lot about reality, including evolution, cosmology, the unsustainability of our current form of industrial civilization, the intrinsic nature and variety of human sexuality, and you can no doubt think of more examples. But for me, their weirdest denialism is denial of death.

This isn't anything new -- recall the Terry Schiavo circus. How very strange. These are people who believe their God voluntarily chose death at a young age, who are perennially enthusiastic about sending young men off to slaughter and be slaughtered in wars, and whose most essential belief is that death is illusory and will be followed, for them anyway, by eternal bliss. Nevertheless they see death as itself mortal, as an enemy that not only can be defeated, but must be fought tenaciously and relentlessly, with every resource society can muster, to the bitterest end; and that declining to do so is somehow profoundly evil.

This means that when people's brains have deteriorated to the point that they no longer swallow when you put food in their mouths, God almighty (who presumably brought them to that state) demands that you jam tubes down their throats and pump in a synthetic slurry of nutrients. If they stop breathing, you have to jam a tube into their windpipe and pump in air. If their body can no longer fight off infections, you have to stick a needle in their vein and pump in antibiotics. It matters not whether they are conscious, whether they can perceive or speak or know anything of the world around them. Their "life," their "human life," is sacred and of infinite value. Offering people the choice to decline such treatment is precisely equivalent to murdering them. Jesus said so. It's in the Bible, right?

Of course, that doesn't mean that the rest of us can be forced to pay for it. That would be socialism. But it needs to happen anyway. Somehow.

That's the "culture of life." That's the Christian belief. Weird, bizarre, and very very strange.

The "Christian" right denies a whole lot about reality, including evolution, cosmology, the unsustainability of our current form of industrial civilization, the intrinsic nature and variety of human sexuality, and you can no doubt think of more examples. But for me, their weirdest denialism is denial of death.

Your right, it is much easier to believe that, just out of dumb luck, two big rocks banged into each other causing an amazing chemical reaction. This then lead to the creation of earth, the only planet with living organisms that we know of. A single celled organism then evolved into a multi-celled organism, then eventually a monkey, then man.

We still have monkeys, and we still have men.... why don't we have anything in between anymore? Why did monkeys stop evolving, did they not need thumbs anymore? If so, why do we exist?

How could this design have worked without anyone creating it?

Where did the first form of life come from?

How many times have you said "God damn it" without even believing in God? Wonder why?

I believe you are delusional if you think that something came from nothing. Scientifically, that is impossible.

Hoo boy. In the first place, scientists do not believe that people descended from monkeys. People and monkeys have a common ancestor -- they are like cousins, not progenitors. But even if that were not the case, it is possible for one species to descend from another, but for the original species to still be around. (If you are descended from your father, why isn't your father dead?)

The earth was not created by "two big rocks banging into each other and causing an amazing chemical reaction." It was created in the same way planets are all over the galaxy, many thousands of which we have now been able to observe. Planetary systems condense out of disks of dust surrounding young stars. There are collisions involved, in the case of earth uncounted millions of them as smaller bodies aggregated into the rocky mass on which we live.

And so on. It is best to learn something about a subject before you form strong opinions about it. I suggest studying science, then you can criticize it.

Please stop stating your beliefs as fact, when even the most respected scientists can't remove the label of theory off of their theories.But even if that were not the case, it is possible for one species to descend from another, but for the original species to still be around. (If you are descended from your father, why isn't your father dead?)

Umm.. I did not evolve from my father, he is a human being... we are the same species.

And so on. It is best to learn something about a subject before you form strong opinions about it. I suggest studying science, then you can criticize it.

Funny, seems you have formed the opinion about me that I haven't studied the subjects.

You are elaborating the theories, but they are the same theories. Even one of the biggest proponent of "The big bang" states that he believes in a creator, but not God, probably alien.

Absolute lunacy... in my opinion. But who am I, just someone that believes Christ died for my sins and God created Adam. I am crazy, right?

There is geological proof of the floods during the time of Noah. The dead scrolls have been discovered. Miracles happen all the time. I have no problem with being cynical, but don't be imposing or judgmental. That is arrogant and ignorant.